Constituent Update
May 7, 2021
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its
report on a study of foodborne illness risk factors in retail food store deli departments. This study is part of a 10-year initiative that examines when foodborne illness risk factors, such as employees practicing poor perso
nal hygiene, and food safety practices, like improper handwashing, occur; and their relatio
nship to Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and Certified Food Protection Managers (CFPM). Data for this study were collected between 2015 and 2016.
The FDA observed that delis with well-developed Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) were more likely to properly co
ntrol foodborne illness risk factors than delis with less developed FSMS. Also, delis with a Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) who is the person in charge have significantly better developed FSMS than delis that do not have a CFPM present or employed.
Analysis of the study data showed that deli departments had the best co
ntrol over:
• ensuring no bare-hand co
ntact with ready-to-eat foods
• cooking raw animal foods to required temperatures
In contrast, the most common food safety behaviors and practices needing better co
ntrol included:
• ensuring employees practiced proper handwashing
• holding foods requiring refrigeration at the proper temperature
• cooling foods properly
Foodborne illness remains a major public health co
ncern in the U.S., causing approximately 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year and costing roughly 77.7 billion dollars annually. Food safety practices in retail food establishments co
ntinue to play a critical role in preventing foodborne illness. Studies such as this serve as a source of information to help decision makers take steps that will reduce the occurrence of risk factors respo
nsible for causing foodborne illness. These findings also help the FDA prioritize development of educatio
nal resources to inform, engage, and empower local retail food industry, state, local, territorial, and tribal authorities, and other government agencies. The FDA will co
ntinue to provide technical assistance to regulatory professionals, industry partners, and co
nsumers to enhance retail food safety nationwide.
This study will also help inform our upcoming activities on modernizing traditio
nal retail food safety approaches. The FDA is exploring ways to further modernize and help ensure the safety of foods sold at restaurants and other retail establishments as part of our work on the
New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative. The
New Era blueprint outlines goals that include strengthening food safety protections through the use of FSMS and risk ba
sed inspectio
nal approaches, as well as exploring the use of new digital tools and smart kitchen equipment that could help minimize risks.
Article source (FDA)
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